Disclaimer: Complimentary product received through the Melanated Gold Review Squad, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I am so excited to share this review of the Ethiopia Country Study Unit by Thistles and Biscuits. We used this unit in our homeschool lessons for about 3 weeks, and honestly we will likely still use it from time to time as we learn more about world geography and our connection to people across the globe. The thing that I cannot say enough is that this study unit is so well put together. I learned so much about Ethiopia right along with my kids, and to me that is the essence of homeschooling. It was exciting and engaging. This unit is packed full of interesting information about Ethiopia, activities, recipes, and a detailed resource guide to help with fully emerging yourself with Ethiopia’s beautiful culture.
What’s Included?
The Thistles and Biscuits Study Units are purchased as digital files, which is great because that means that you can make copies for siblings. In our case we made copies of the coloring sheets so that each of my kids could color the same page. This unit study includes a guide, flash cards, recipes, cultural, historical, and geographical information about Ethiopia, copy work, and a booklist. At a price point of $6 per digital file, this unit is jam packed full of phenomenal learning resources.
Our Experience
In the beginning of the study unit there is a quote by Charlotte Mason which I love and found useful when approaching this with my early learners. My homeschooling children are *almost* 3 years old and 5 years old. She stated that, “a child should execute perfectly. No work should be given to a child that he cannot execute perfectly, and then perfection should be required from him as a matter of course”. Taking that quote to heart, I went through the unit and picked out the sections that I believed that my children could execute perfectly (and put aside the other sections, which I cannot wait to use as they get older). We did the coloring pages which featured Ethiopia’s National flower, animal, and the Ethiopian flag.
In addition to the coloring pages, we also discussed the history of the Ethiopian flag and what the colors represent as well as the amazing history of the country. We then discussed the history of coffee in Ethiopia and used the infographic included to point out the various parts of the coffee plant ( which my kids were particularly interested in because “grandma loves coffee!” lol).
The flash cards included with the study unit were a hit with my kids. Everyday they would pick out their favorite flash cards and ask to watch videos online showing the topic in action. For example, they were fascinated by the Donga ritual, Gursha, and Hot Dollal. So, we watched several videos online further explaining the topic which aided in a deeper understanding of important aspects of Ethiopian culture.
I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I’ll admit I was a bit intimidated at the thought of making traditional Ethiopian cuisine. I did want to make at least one of the recipes with my kids, so we chose the one in which I felt the most confident. There are a total of three recipes featured in the study unit. We decided to make Ethiopian Spris. We had fun making this drink and it was actually delicious and incredibly refreshing.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I give the Thistles and Biscuits Ethiopia Study Unit a 10/10. The price is reasonable. The resources are well put together and presented in a way that you can use again and again with your child as they study geography and history. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to use and review this study unit.
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Click Here to View the Ethiopia Study Unit
